Little One
by xXJennJennXx
Summary: When Harley Quinn discovers that she is pregnant, she realizes that she'll fight through everything to have her baby.
1. Chapter 1

Harley Quinn lay on her back in the plush bed she shared with the Joker, arms and legs spread out and a light snore vibrating through the room. The Joker nudged the sleeping woman with his hand, and her eyelids fluttered open.

"Good mornin', puddin'," Harley smiled.

"It's time for breakfast if you want to eat with me before I leave," the green-haired man said, squeezing Harley's breast.

"You goin' out today, Mistah J?" She asked, placing her hand on his thigh.

"I'll be gone all day. The boys will make sure your safe," the Joker replied. "Come on, get up, you lazy little sloth."

Harley smiled and rolled out of bed. She walked over to the Joker, and took his hands in her own. Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his red lips deeply. He gathered her hair in his hand, and she couldn't help but moan a little against his lips.

Harley broke the kiss gently and followed the Joker into the kitchen, where one of the servants put down two plates heaped with eggs, bacon, and hash browns. The Joker ate quickly, while Harley picked at her food.

"Gotta go, Harls," the Joker said, kissing the woman on the top of her head. "See you later, dollface."

"Bye Mistah J, be safe!" Harley called.

As soon as he was out the door, Harley jumped up from her place at the table and went back to the master bedroom. Her heart was pounding, and her hands were trembling. She gave a silent thanks to the gods that be that the Joker was out for the day, as she fumbled with a cardboard box, trying to open it without damaging what was inside. When she finally succeeded, Harley pulled out a slender stick and an instruction booklet from the box and raced to the bathroom.

She was late, and had been for five days. Her period had always came and went like clockwork, so the last five days had been torturous for her. Harley had bought the test in secret under the guise of needing her "monthly unmentionables", and had hidden it under the bed until the Joker left the house.

Hands shaking, Harley read the instruction booklet that came along with the test. She took a deep breath, sighed, and sat down on the toilet. She held the stick under her urine stream for a few seconds and started the timer on her phone for three minutes. She slumped over on the toilet, and closed her eyes as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"I can't be pregnant," Harley whispered.

She had never felt more afraid. Harley had always wanted a family, but the Joker was firmly against the idea. The last time she had even brought up the idea of having a baby, the Joker had slapped Harley's face and knocked her into their bedroom mirror, shattering it and leaving deep cuts on her back. He had apologized and promised that they would talk about it again sometime, but Harley had known better than to bring it up.

She couldn't even remember when she could have possibly conceived. Harley knew she had been a little lax with taking her pill, but the few times she had missed it didn't seem significant enough to be causing her this much stress and fear.

When the timer on her phone went off, Harley jumped. She sighed, and forced her eyes open and down to the test. Two small pink lines stared back at her. Harley let out a muffled cry, and threw the test to the ground as tears streamed down her cheek.

She spent the rest of the day in a kind of limbo, not even bothering to change out of her pajamas or put on makeup. Harley wandered from room to room, unable to concentrate on any one thing for more than a moment. When she opened a magazine and the face of a smiling infant stared back at her, she had started a crying spell that lasted nearly an hour. The Joker's men were baffled by the change in her behavior, but knew better than to ask questions.

Around nine in the evening, Harley lay down on her side of the bed. It was covered with feather stuffed pillows and soft blankets, a stark contrast to the Joker's side, devoid even of a pillow. Just after getting comfortable, Harley heard the familiar sound of the front door slamming, and the Joker's voice in the front room. She listened carefully, and decided that he didn't sound angry.

When the bedroom door flew open, Harley tried her best to smile at the Joker. He looked her up and down, then sneered.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked. "You look like shit."

"Um, well, Puddin'…" Harley stammered, searching for the right words to use. "Puddin', I'm pregnant."

Time stood still for just a moment before the Joker reacted. He flew towards Harley at lightning speed, and pushed her roughly against the wall. Putting his hand over her throat, the Joker growled in her ear.

"You little slut. You did this on purpose."

"I didn't, I swear!" Harley cried, struggling to breath. "Please, Daddy, you're scarin' me."

"You better be scared," the Joker snarled.

With his hand still pressing on her throat, the Joker delivered a series of rapid punches to Harley's stomach.

"You're going to kill it," Harley sobbed. "Please, Mistah J, please stop!"

Harley weakly fought against the Joker's grasp. Finally, he moved his hand away from her neck and she crumbled to the floor in a heap.

"It's fine, everything is fine," the tall man growled as her paced back and forth. "I know a doctor that can…fix you right up. It'll all work out in the end, my dear."

Harley struggled to stand. When she found her footing, she placed one hand firmly over her sore stomach and pulled herself up to her full height.

"No, Mistah J. I'm not gonna get rid of it. I want this baby. I…" Harley hesitated for moment. "I'm keeping our baby."

The Joker stared in disbelief at Harley for a moment. She was trying to make herself look big, but the fear in her eyes was evident.

"Please, Puddin'," she whispered, taking the Joker's hand. "Please. I want this more than I've ever wanted anything. And you always say I can have whatever I want."

The Joker painfully twisted Harley's arm behind her back.

"I'm not going to be responsible for your little fuckup, Pumpkin ," he snarled.

The Joker threw Harley facedown on the bed, and pulled down her pajama shorts in one quick motion. Before she could react, he thrust himself inside of her and began to pound in and out of her. Harley whimpered, and tried to get away, but the Joker's hands on her hips were like a vice grip.

"You. Are. Mine. You do. What. I. Say," the Joker said through his tightly set jaw, each word punctuated by a painful thrust.

Harley sobbed as she struggled under the powerful man's grip. Finally, he came with a grunt and the hold on her hips relaxed just enough for Harley to get away. Shaking all over, with tears in her big blue eyes, Harley pulled up her shorts and darted out of the door. One of the Joker's men tried to stop her, but the pale man emerged from the bedroom, adjusting his pants.

"Let her go," he ordered. "She'll be back."

Harley ran until she couldn't run any more. When she looked up, she realized she was in an unfamiliar part of Gotham, and her cell phone and wallet were back at the hideout. Harley caught a glimpse of herself in the window of a nearby coffee shop and sighed. She looked deranged, with her messy hair, still in her pajamas, swollen eyes, and a bruise blooming on her cheek. She sighed, and decided she only had one option.

Harley went inside the coffee shop and tried her best to smile at the waitress behind the counter.

"Can I use your phone?" Harley asked, trying to keep her voice steady. "I…don't have my cell."

"Sure thing, honey, under one condition," the waitress replied.

Harley looked at her questioningly.

"You aren't going back to the guy that gave you that, are you?" She asked, gesturing to the bruise on Harley's cheek. She took phone from its base and handing it to Harley.

"No, I'm not going back there. Not now," Harley whispered.

The waitress took the phone from its base and handing it to Harley, who

dialed the number from memory and waited a moment before hearing a voice on the line.

"Hey, Ivy, can ya please come get me? I'm at…Jack's Coffee. I'm….I'm in trouble, Ivy. Big time."

Harley put her hand over her stomach.

"It'll be okay, little one," she thought, tears springing into her eyes again. "Mommy promises."

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much for reading. Please let me know what you think in a review. I appreciate any feedback!


	2. Chapter 2

Harley was silent all the way from the coffee shop to Ivy's modest apartment.

"He hit you again, didn't he?" Ivy asked, as she pulled into a parking space. "What was he pissed off about this time, Harley?"

Harley turned to Ivy, tears streaming down her face.

"Harley?" Ivy took the blonde woman's hand. "What happened? Please, tell me."

"He…I…I'm pregnant, Red," Harley whispered. "And Mistah J ain't happy."

Ivy sighed and ran her fingers through her striking red hair.

"Come on, babe, let's get you inside."

Ivy went around to the passenger side and opened Harley's door. She held out her hand and gently led Harley inside the building and into the elevator. When Ivy unlocked her door, Harley went inside cautiously, looking around for any sign that the Joker had sent his men to bring her back home. Once she was satisfied she was safe, she went to Ivy's liquor cabinet and poured herself a shot of vodka.

"You can't drink that, Harley," Ivy said, taking the shot glass from the woman's trembling hand.

Harley snatched the drink back and downed it.

"One won't hurt nothin'," she replied, wiping her mouth. "I just need to stop shaking."

Ivy looked at Harley silently, and felt her heart break a little for the woman standing in front of her. Ivy had loved Harley for years, but she had no illusion that Harley would ever leave the arms of the Joker, not for good at least. Of course, she would run to Ivy once every few months when his punches got to be too much to take, but she always went back. Ivy had accepted this, and had vowed to be there for Harley when she needed her.

"What did he do when you told him?" Ivy asked, pouring herself a drink.

"He hit me, and choked me, and…" Harley's face was red with anger, embarrassment, and tears. "He raped me, Red. I never seen him so angry before."

"Goddamn," Ivy whispered. "You can't go back to him this time, Harley. He's going to kill you one of these days."

"I know," Harley replied.

She collapsed on Ivy's sofa, and buried her face in her hands. Ivy sat down beside her and wrapped her in her arms. The apartment was silent except for the sound of Harley's sobs as Ivy stroked her hair and rocked her back and forth. After a long while, Harley's sobs slowed, and Ivy massaged her back and neck, careful to avoid the bruises that the Joker had left.

"He wants me to have an abortion," Harley said, breaking the silence.

"And you don't want that?" Ivy asked. "I mean, that isn't what you want, right?"

"No, I want this baby more than anything. And I'm havin' it. I already told Mistah J. That's when he…hurt me."

Harley snuggled closer to Ivy. A door down the hall slammed shut, and Harley jumped, and began crying again.

"It's your body, Harley, and he can't force you to do anything you don't want to. And you know you're welcome to stay here as long as you want. You and the baby."

"Thanks, Red," Harley said, tracing the green lines on Ivy's skin with the tip of her finger. "You mind if I take a shower? I feel all dirty."

"Not at all. You know where it's at, and I'll bring you some nice fresh pajamas to change into. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Harley replied.

When she stood up, Ivy noticed that Harley was walking with a limp, and she cringed. She was used to taking care of Harley after the Joker hurt her, but this time seemed different. This time, Ivy hoped that Harley wasn't going to go back to him. She allowed herself to hope, for just a moment, that she and Harley could be together now.

Ivy went to get Harley some pajamas from her room. When she walked into the bathroom, she saw Harley standing behind the shower's glass, vigorously scrubbing her skin. Two handprint shaped bruises bloomed on Harley's hips, and her stomach was a patchwork of black and blue.

"Harley…" Ivy struggled to find the right words. "He beat you up pretty bad. You're not…bleeding. Are you?"

"No, thank God," Harley replied. "I keep checking though. I was so afraid when he was hittin' me that he'd…"

"I know," Ivy replied, stripping off her t-shirt and shorts and climbing into the shower with Harley.

Ivy shampooed Harley's hair, massaging her scalp gently. Harley moaned. She hadn't been touched this tenderly in a long time, and it felt nice. As Ivy rinsed the suds from her blonde locks, Harley brought her hand to her stomach and rubbed the places that had bruised.

"Is it crazy that I love it already?" Harley asked, stroking her stomach. "I mean, I'd die for the little one. I'd even live for it. I never felt love like this, Ivy. Not even for my Puddin'."

"That doesn't sound crazy at all, Harley," Ivy replied.

Once the two women had finished their shower and dried off, they changed into fresh pajamas and went into Ivy's bedroom. Ivy tucked Harley into bed, and lay down beside her. Harley snuggled up to the redhead, and laid her head on her chest.

"He's gonna come lookin' for me, ya know." Harley mumbled, sleep beginning to overtake her.

"I'll protect you," Ivy whispered.

She nuzzled the sleeping woman's hair, and pulled her closer. Ivy's heart broke for the small woman who clung to her. For a brief moment, Ivy imagined how her life would be with Harley and her baby if she didn't go back to the Joker. Ivy imagined that she could be a big help to Harley, and that they could raise the baby together. Ivy knew she would never fully have Harley's heart, but she allowed herself to think, just for a moment, that she could at least have part of it.

In her sleep, Harley snuggled closer to Ivy, and hugged her tightly. Ivy smiled, and slid deeper under the blankets, and was asleep within minutes.

Over the next few days, Harley and Ivy lived peacefully. They settled into a quiet routine. They ate breakfast together each morning, and then snuggled up on the couch to watch the news and some mindless game shows. They usually ordered lunch from the deli down the street, and spent the afternoon reading or playing board games from Ivy's extensive collection. Their nights were spent on the roof of Ivy's apartment building, lying on a blanket and staring up at the stars until time for bed.

Slowly, Harley stopped jumping at every noise. The bruises on her hips, stomach, and neck got worse, and then began to fade away. She smiled more, and her laughs seemed genuine again. With each day that Harley stayed, Ivy allowed herself to hope a little bit more that this was the real thing. She relaxed into the idea that she was finally going to be with Harley.

Ivy even downloaded a book on pregnancy and infants, and she read a chapter every day in secret. She had bought Harley some prenatal vitamins, and convinced her to take them even though she gagged every time she even saw the bottle.

Ivy and Harley were happy together, and they had nearly two weeks of peace in Ivy's little apartment, before the roses started to show up. Ivy found the first one, after she and Harley came back from a walk in the park. It was laying on the bookshelf in the living room: a single red rose tipped in black. Ivy had thrown it away before Harley saw it,

Harley missed the second rose as well, and almost saw the third before Ivy had time to toss it out the window. After that, she began obsessively going through the apartment on each return, searching for the roses. Harley noticed the change in Ivy, but couldn't imagine what was causing her sudden paranoia, until the day she found a rose herself.

It was hidden, tucked underneath Harley's pillow. When she saw it, the blonde woman had jumped out of bed, cowering away from the flower as if it would hurt her.

"He knows where I'm at, Red," Harley cried. "I…I have to go back. I can't wait for him to come get me…I have to go."

Harley started out the bedroom door. Ivy followed her, and grabbed her shoulder.

"Please stop, Harley," Ivy begged. "When…If he comes to get you, I'll protect you. You don't have to go back to him. Please. Stay."

Harley collapsed in the floor, crying, and holding her stomach.

"He'll never let me keep it, Ivy," Harley sobbed. "He always wins, Red. You don't understand."

"Not this time, Harley," Ivy promised, wrapping her arms around the trembling woman.

Ivy coaxed Harley back onto the bed. She threw away the rose, and snuggled in next to her. Harley immediately snuggled into Ivy's arms, and cried into her chest. Finally, Harley's sobs quieted, and she drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

A few days passed, and the roses stopped showing up. Harley and Ivy allowed themselves to relax a little. They resumed their routine, and the two women slipped further and further into the illusion that they could continue living like this forever.

One night, as Harley and Ivy lay underneath the stars on the rooftop, the illusion broke. The door to the rooftop slammed open, and the Joker walked in, flanked by two of his henchmen.

"You've been ignoring my gifts, little Harley Quinn," the Joker sneered, approaching the two women. "Daddy doesn't like being ignored."

Harley jumped to her feet and stood behind Ivy, her whole body trembling. Ivy stepped forward, and a small sob escaped from Harley's lips.

"She doesn't want to see you, Joker," Ivy said, taking Harley's hand. "Leave her alone."

Before Ivy or Harley could react, the Joker had run to Harley and scooped her up in his arms. Harley fought back against him, but he was much stronger than she.

"Let her go, you bastard!" Ivy screamed, stepping towards the Joker.

The Joker smiled, and chuckled. He calmly walked Harley over to the edge of the roof, and dropped her. The Joker caught her wrist at the last moment, and dangled her from the rooftop as Ivy watched on in horror.

"Not another word from you, Plant, or I will let her go," the Joker laughed.

"Please, Puddin', don't drop me," Harley begged, hysteria edging into her voice. "I'll come home."

"You're damn right you're coming home," the Joker snarled. "And you're going to be a good girl for Daddy, aren't you?"

"Yes, Mistah J, I swear."

"No more telling me what you're going to do?" The Joker asked, pulling Harley up just a bit.

"No more, I swear, I'll be good!" Harley cried.

The Joker lifted Harley back onto the roof. She began sobbing as soon as her feet touched the solid ground, and she fell to her knees, holding her stomach.

"I'm so sorry, little one," Harley whispered.

"What was that?" The Joker asked.

"I….I was just sayin' goodbye. You ain't gonna let me keep it, are you?"

"Oh, on the contrary, my dear Harley. You are keeping this baby."

"Really, Mistah J? You mean it?"

"I do, Harls," the Joker said, wrapping his arm around Harley's waist and helping her stand. "I've been doing some thinking, and I've decided it might be nice to have an heir to all we've accomplished. Someone to take over the streets of Gotham when we're gone. We created a kingdom, baby, and it needs a little prince or princess."

Harley's eyes lit up.

"Oh, Puddin', thank you!" Harley cried, wrapping her arms around the Joker.

He smiled over Harley's shoulder at Ivy, who was biting her lip to keep from crying.

"Let's go home, dollface," the Joker said, patting Harley's ass and wrapping his arm around her waist.

Harley followed the Joker and his men to the door before glancing back and seeing Ivy, standing on the roof watching her go with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Can I please go say goodbye to Ivy?" Harley asked.

The Joker nodded.

"Just make it quick."

Harley jogged back to Ivy, and wrapped her arms around the redhead.

"Thanks for lettin' me stay at your place. I really appreciate it," Harley said.

"Harley, you know you don't have to go, right?" Ivy asked, holding her close.

"I do though. You heard what my Puddin' said. I get to keep my baby, and be with him. That's all I ever wanted."

Ivy leaned into kiss Harley, but the blonde swiftly stepped back out of her reach.

"I can't be doin' that no more, Ivy. My baby's gotta have a daddy. I'll…I'll see you around."

Harley trotted off to rejoin the Joker and his men.

"A baby can't handle his kind of love, Harley!" Ivy called, as the group descended the stairs. "One of these days he'll get to rough and your precious baby will be gone!"

"Don't listen to her, Pumpkin," the Joker said, playing with a lock of Harley's hair.

"I won't, Puddin'," Harley replied. "I won't."


	3. Chapter 3

Harley stood, baseball bat in hand, above a cowering man. Bricks of cocaine surrounded the two, and the Joker's laugh rang out from the back room. He was busy making a deal with one of Gotham's most notorious drug lords. He had left Harley outside the room to guard the door. She had caught the man who lay in front of her attempting to sneak in, gun in hand.

"I don't know what you was planning," Harley said, "but you ain't goin' in there."

"I was just making sure the boss isn't getting screwed over," the man squeaked. "Please don't hurt me, Miss Quinn."

Harley smiled viciously and placed the tip of her stiletto heel against the back of the man's hand.

"Move and you'll have a brand new hole to go fuck yourself with," Harley laughed.

Suddenly, the door behind Harley crashed open. The man the Joker was doing business with ran from the room, followed closely by the green-haired man.

"We gotta get out of here, babe," the Joker said. "Someone tipped off the cops. They're on their way."

Harley nodded, and moved her heel from the trembling man's hand.

"Today's just your lucky day, ain't it?" Harley threw back her head, laughing as the man sighed with relief.

The Joker grabbed a brick of cocaine and stuck it into the pocket of his trench coat, just as the front door burst open. Batman stepped through the door, and from somewhere behind Harley, gunshots rang out. Batman dodged the bullets, and the room erupted in chaos. Men were running all around Harley, towards the door, fleeing from Batman. He, however, was focused only on the Joker. Before Harley had time to react, the two men were engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat. In just a few moments, the Joker was pinned to the ground by his throat.

Harley leapt into action. She tumbled forward and delivered a powerful kick to Batman's ankles, making him lose his balance. Batman growled, jumped to his feet, and slammed Harley against the wall. He drew back his fist, but Harley only laughed.

"You wouldn't punch a lady who's expectin', would ya, Batsy?" Harley asked, her hand going to her stomach protectively.

Batman stared at her, surprised.

"You're pregnant?" He asked, staring dumbly at Harley's still-flat stomach.

Harley grinned and took the opportunity to duck out from under the black-caped man's arm. The Joker grabbed her hand, and the two ran to their car, a bright purple Lamborghini. The Joker roughly pushed Harley in through the driver's side, and climbed in after her. In seconds, they were speeding down the highway, laughing as they wove in and out of lanes, heading towards the hideout.

As the Joker pushed the gas pedal further, Harley let her hand drift back to her stomach. She smiled down.

"Someday, you're gonna join us when we play jokes, Little One," Harley whispered. "Right, Mistah J?"

"Sure thing, baby," the Joker said. "Give me a bump off this," he ordered, handing Harley the brick of cocaine from his pocket.

Harley carefully unwrapped the brick and pinched off a bit with the long nail of her pinky finger. She held it under the Joker's nose, and he snorted deeply.

The Joker shook his head, wildly, and smiled at Harley.

"That's the good stuff, baby," he yelled, punching the roof of the car and laughing.

Harley pinched off another bump and snorted it herself.

"Goddamn," she whispered, wiping away the trail of blood that ran from her nostril.

The Joker pulled the car into the underground garage beneath the hideout. He drug Harley out of the car and up the stairs towards the bedroom. Halfway up, Harley tripped, and the Joker scooped her up into his arms and carried her the rest of the way. When he reached the bed, he threw Harley down roughly, and began stripping off her clothes.

When Harley was free of her clothes, the Joker loomed over her. He ripped off his trench coat, exposing his tattooed, muscular chest. Harley bit her lip in anticipation, and reached out to touch the bulge in the front of the Joker's pants. The Joker slapped her hand away.

"Not yet, my pretty little toy," he cooed, squeezing Harley's face in his powerful hand. "Spread those legs for me, slut."

Harley obeyed the Joker's command. She watched as the green-haired man slowly unbuckled his belt. He moved as if to throw the belt down, but instead raised it high and brought it down on the exposed, porcelain flesh of Harley's inner thighs. Harley screamed, and tried to pull her legs together, but the Joker shot her a warning glare.

"Would you rather me use this on your face?" He asked, preparing to strike Harley with the belt again.

"No, Daddy, please. Stop!" Harley sobbed. "What did I do wrong, Mistah J?"

"I saw you take that bump. You know better than that. You had a goddamn PhD, Harley. It's not like you fucking forgot everything, you stupid whore."

"What are ya talkin' about, Mistah J?" Harely cried. "You always let me use a little."

The Joker snarled and landed one final blow from the belt to Harley's thighs. "Not when you're gonna have my kid, dollface," the Joker snarled. "You walk the straight and narrow path when it's my baby you're carrying. No drugs, no alcohol. If I see so much as an espresso touch your lips, this will look like a walk in the park. Got it? All that shit is bad for the baby."

"But you hittin' me ain't?" Harley fired back.

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Harley regretted them. The Joker grabbed her pale throat, his fingers digging into her soft flesh.

"You begged me to let you keep this little annoyance," the Joker said through gritted teeth. "The very least you could do is treat it right before it's even born."

The Joker released his hand from Harley's throat, and the blond woman coughed and tried to sit up. The Joker smiled and shook his head.

"Oh, I'm not done with you yet, my little Harley Quinn."

The Joker pushed Harley back on the bed and roughly spread her legs with his knees. He undid his pants, and pressed the hot, hard flesh to Harley's bruised thigh. Despite herself, Harley moaned. The pleasure intermingled with pain made her instantly wet. The Joker noticed, and smiled.

"On your knees," he ordered, slapping Harley's ass when she obeyed.

The Joker slipped two fingers inside Harley, and felt her warm wetness. Satisfied that she was ready, the Joker thrust inside of Harley, the tip of his penis hitting her cervix. She moaned underneath him, and began rocking her petite body back and forth. The Joker growled, and slammed Harley's head onto the bed. He thrust in and out of her for a while, then roughly flipped her over and plunged back inside of her.

Harley moaned in ecstasy, and scratched at the Joker's back, drawing blood. In retaliation, the Joker bit Harley's breast, leaving a distinctive bruise. His metal grills felt cold on Harley's nipple, and she shivered as the Joker nipped at her sensitive skin.

Harley came with a loud moan, and the feeling of her walls spasming around his cock was enough to send the Joker over the edge. He grunted as he came inside of her, and pulled her hair until she screamed in pleasure and pain.

The couple collapsed on the bed, sweaty, bloody, and exhausted. Harley curled up against the Joker, her head on his chest. She cringed when her thighs touched, and the Joker gently pushed a blonde curl away from her face with his thumb.

"You know I only hit you when you deserve it, right Harls?" He asked, stroking her hair.

"I know it, Mistah J. I just wish I was better at not makin' you angry," Harley replied, tracing the tattoos on the Joker's chest.

"So do I, dollface."

Harley lay still on the bed, her hand over her stomach. She briefly wondered how Ivy was doing, but pushed the thought away as quickly as it had came. It had been two and a half months since Harley had left the comfort of Ivy's home and returned to the Joker. Some nights, like tonight, she almost regretted the choice she had made.

Ivy's words often rang in her ear, and were especially loud on nights like tonight.

"A baby can't handle his kind of love!" Ivy had yelled, desperately trying to convince Harley to stay with her.

Harley was silent for a long while, working up the courage to ask the Joker a question. Finally, she took a deep breath and turned to the man lying next to her.

"Mistah J, when the baby gets here, you ain't gonna hit it or nothin', are ya?" Harley asked, clutching the comforter tightly in her hands.

"Of course not," the Joker replied. "We're gonna make sure he or she knows all the rules right from the beginning."

Harley breathed a sigh of relief, but the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach refused to go away.

Meanwhile, in the Batcave, Batman sat in front of a large television screen, waiting for his call to Louisiana to go through. Finally, the blank screen filled with the image of a young woman.

"Amanda Waller speaking," the woman said. "Ah, Batman. Are you calling to let me know that you've captured my little escapee?"

"Not yet, but I'm close," Batman growled, his deep voice echoing in the near-empty room. "There is some new information regarding her that we need to discuss. It is of the upmost importance."

"Yes?" Waller asked, crossing her arms.

"Harley Quinn is pregnant. I assume it is the Joker's child. We cannot, under any circumstances, allow a child to be raised by these monsters."

"Of course not." Waller replied. "You just catch her, Batman. Leave the rest to me."

Batman nodded, and ended the call.

At Belle Reve, Amanda Waller sat behind her desk, deep in thought. Suddenly, a smile spread across her face, and she pressed a button on her phone.

"Lucille, bring me Dr. Kovack," she snapped at her assistant. "I believe I may have found a cure for Harley Quinn's…disobedience."


	4. Chapter 4

Harley stood in the middle of an empty room, imagining how it would look filled with everything the baby would need. She had tried to interest the Joker in her plans for the nursery, but he had blown her off to go work on his newest project.

"Be glad I gave you this room, Harley," the Joker had warned. "Don't keep asking for more. You promised the brat wouldn't be an inconvenience."

Harley sighed and put her hand on her stomach.

"Don't worry, little one. Daddy loves ya, he just don't know how to show it. He has trouble with that sometimes. Anyway, Mama's gonna put the crib over here, and the changing table here…"

Harley trailed off when she felt a flutter in her womb, as if butterfly wings had brushed against her. She smiled, and ran down the hall, bursting into the Joker's office.

"Mistah J! Mistah J, feel!"

Harley stuck out her rounded belly, and grinned. She was five months along exactly, and was more than thrilled that she had finally felt her little one move. A small part of her had been afraid that something was wrong, and now that she had felt that little movement, Harley's heart soared.

"What do you want, you insufferable-"

"Feel, Daddy," Harley said, taking the Joker's hand and placing it over her stomach.

"I'm busy, cupcake," the Joker snapped, jerking his hand away.

"The baby's movin'!" Harley whined. "It'll only take a second."

The Joker slowly turned in his chair and stood, towering over Harley's petite frame. He glared down at her, and Harley instantly knew that she had made a mistake. She bit her lip and tried to back out of the room, but the Joker stopped her with a firm grip on one of her pigtails.

"What does it mean when Daddy says he's busy?" the Joker asked, tightening the grip on Harley's hair.

"I'm sorry, Daddy, I'll leave you alone. I didn't mean to upset you!" Harley cried, wrapping her arms around her stomach protectively.

"I asked you a question, stupid. What does it mean when Daddy says he's busy?"

"To leave him alone?" Harley replied questioningly, her voice small.

The Joker nodded, and pulled Harley towards their bedroom by her hair.

"Yes, Harls, that's exactly what it means," he said, releasing Harley's hair and sitting down on the bed.

The Joker grabbed Harley wrist and pulled her down over his knees. Harley grabbed her stomach protectively, and a fearful cry escaped her lips. The Joker flipped up the hem of Harley's short maternity dress, and ripped off the lacy panties she was wearing underneath. Slowly, he rubbed Harley's smooth ass, before raising his hand and bringing it down hard on her soft flesh. The Joker spanked Harley over and over, each time smiling as she cried out in pain. When the Joker finally stopped, bruises were already forming on Harley's porcelain flesh.

"Daddy doesn't like hurting you. You know that, right Harls?" The Joker asked.

"I know, Mistah J," Harley sniffled, wincing as she sat down on the Joker's lap. "I'm sorry I'm so stupid."

"I know, sweetheart," the Joker replied. "But guess what? I do have a surprise for you."

"What?" Harley asked, instantly perking up.

"I decided you and the baby need to see a doctor. Me and some of the boys will be taking you to one today. You'll get to hear its heartbeat, maybe even find out if it's a boy or a girl. How does that sound?"

"Oh, Mistah J, thank you so much!" Harley squealed, wrapped her arms around the Joker's neck and squeezing him tightly.

Harley had wanted to see a doctor about the baby for some time now, but the Joker had refused. He had said it was useless to see a doctor this early in the pregnancy. It made Harley's feel so good to think that the Joker cared enough to want to make sure that the baby was healthy.

"What make ya change your mind about the doctor, Mistah J?" Harley asked, smiling shyly.

"I found out he can do a test to make sure it's not retarded," the Joker replied. "We're gonna have that done, that way we can take care of things if it is."

"Oh," Harley replied, disappointed. "When are we goin'?"

"In about an hour," the Joker replied. "Now go get ready."

When Harley stood up, the Joker slapped her ass and she whimpered in pain. She went to the shower, and stripped off her dress and the ruined lace panties the Joker had ripped off of her. Harley glanced in the full-length mirror and sighed. Her body was a patchwork of bruises, some new and some healed. Harley forced a smile, and rubbed her bulging stomach lovingly.

"Mama loves you, little one," Harley whispered. "I get to see ya today.

After Harley had showered, dressed, and fixed her hair and makeup, she met the Joker and two of his henchmen in the living room. The Joker smiled, and wrapped his arm around Harley's waist.

"Ready, babe?" He asked.

Harley nodded, and the group walked down to the garage, where they chose a discrete black car for their trip. The doctor was located nearly an hour out of Gotham. On the way there, Harley stretched out in the backseat, her head on the Joker's lap. He petted her hair, and Harley fell asleep halfway through the trip.

When she awoke, the henchman was pulling into the parking lot of a large warehouse. Fields surrounded them, and Harley looked around, confused from sleep and the odd location.

"This isn't a doctor's office," she said, looking up at the Joker.

"Of course not," the Joker scoffed, slapping the back of Harley's head. "You think we can just waltz into a regular doctor's office? Don't be so stupid, cupcake."

Harley winced, but forced herself to smile.

"Sorry, Mistah J, I wasn't thinkin'."

The henchmen lead Harley and the Joker into the warehouse. The inside of the building had been partitioned off into several different rooms. Each room had a sign on the door, indicating that it was the office of a different kind of doctor. Down a long hallway and on the left, the henchmen entered one of the doors. A lopsided sign read "OBGYN" in hastily scrawled handwriting.

"Is this the place, Puddin'?" Harley asked, fear creeping into her voice as she hesitated in the doorway.

"Looks like it, Harls," the Joker sneered. "Don't act afraid now, this is what you wanted, isn't it?"

The Joker roughly pushed Harley into the room. She let out a cry of surprise, and nearly tripped, but one of the henchmen steadied her. Harley looked around the room, her eyes wide. The room was bare, except for a table against one wall with cruel-looking metal stirrups jutting from the end, an ultrasound machine, and a table full of supplies that Harley couldn't even begin to name.

The blonde jumped when the door crashed open, and a heavyset man waddled into the room.

"Hello, hello," he said. "My name is Dr. Patterson. You must be Ms. Quinn?"

"Harley," she replied automatically, shaking the doctors hand.

"Now," the doctor said, "The gentleman and I will leave for a moment and I'll have you change into this gown. Then I'll have you sit on the bed and put your feet up, and we'll start the examination in just a bit."

Dr. Patterson, the henchmen, and the Joker started to step out of the room, but Harley pulled on her boyfriend's sleeve as if she were a child.

"Stay, Puddin'," Harley whispered.

The Joker smiled.

"Sure thing, Harls," he said, squeezing the woman's hand.

Harley slowly removed her clothes, and put on the flimsy gown. She sat on the bed, put her feet in the stirrups, and slid to the edge of the table. The Joker smiled down at her reassuringly, and took her hand. A surge of love rushed through Harley, and she smiled.

The doctor stepped back inside the room.

"Today, we're doing a pelvic exam, an ultrasound, and an amniocentesis, right?" Dr. Patterson asked.

"That's right," the Joker confirmed.

"Wait, what's an amnio…amino….What's that last thing you said?" Harley asked.

"It's a procedure we can use to test to for an fetal abnormality," the doctor replied. "Don't worry about it just yet."

The doctor slipped on a pair of gloves and did a quick pelvic exam.

"Everything feels normal, now let's get to the part you've been waiting for," Dr. Patterson said, stripping off the gloves.

The doctor pulled up the gown Harley was wearing, and cringed when he saw the bruises dotting her stomach. The Joker gave him a warning look, and the doctor paled. When he went to pick up the ultrasound gel, he nearly dropped it, earning him another frown from the green-haired man.

Dr. Patterson spread the gel over Harley's stomach. Then, he turned on the monitor and placed the ultrasound wand to her belly. When the picture on the screen came into focus, Harley squealed in delight. Even the Joker smiled as the image of their baby filled the screen. The doctor began taking measurements, and jotting down notes in Harley's chart. When he was finished, he looked at the parents, smiling.

"You have a healthy baby," he said. "Would you like to know the sex?"

"Can we, puddin'?" Harley asked, looking up at the Joker hopefully.

"Why not?" He replied.

"In about four months, you'll have a beautiful baby girl," Dr. Patterson said.

"Oh, Puddin', a little girl!" Tears sprung into Harley's eyes, and she squeezed the Joker's hand.

"Would you two like to hear the heartbeat?" Dr. Patterson asked.

Harley nodded eagerly. The Joker looked down at her and with an indulgent smile and nodded as well. The doctor hit a button on the ultrasound wand, and the steady sound of the baby's heartbeat filled the room.

The tears in Harley's eyes spilled over, and she looked up at the Joker. He was smiling slightly, looking at the image on the ultrasound machine with quiet wonder.

The doctor pressed a button on the end of the wand to capture a few pictures, then handed Harley a towel to wipe herself off with. The Joker helped her clean the gel from her stomach, and kissed her on top of her head.

"I'm so proud of you, Harls," he whispered.

"Now, the scary part," Dr. Patterson said, turning to the table where all his instruments lay.

The smile disappeared from Harley's face.

"The scary part? You didn't say nothin' about a scary part, Mistah J."

"It's not a big deal," the Joker reassured her, glaring at the doctor.

"He's right," Dr. Patterson said nervously. "I'm just going to take a needle, and insert it into your uterus through your abdomen. I'll take a small portion of amniotic fluid, and we'll test that to make sure the baby is developing normally."

Harley looked at the needle that Dr. Patterson held. It was thin, and so long. Harley's stomach flip-flopped, and she felt woozy all at once.

"I don't think this is necessary, thanks anyway doc," Harley said, trying to stand up.

The Joker pushed her back down on the table sharply, and shot her a warning glare.

"It only takes about two minutes," the doctor promised, trying his best to smile.

"Okay," Harley said, her voice small.

Tears ran down Harley's cheeks, smearing makeup with them, but she lay back on the table as still as she could. She closed her eyes, and felt the doctor rub an antiseptic liquid over her stomach. When the needle pierced her flesh, Harley cried out in pain. The Joker squeezed her hand again, and whispered softly in her ear that it was almost over.

"All done," Dr. Patterson said. "The results will be ready in about 10 days."

The Joker pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and handed it to the doctor, who nodded and made the money disappear in his white coat. Harley was unsteady on her feet as she tried to climb off of the table, so the Joker picked her up in his arms and carried her out of the warehouse, his henchman following close behind.

When they sat down in the car, Harley snuggled up to the Joker, burying her face into his warm, muscular chest.

"We're gonna have a little princess," Harley whispered, drifting off to sleep.

"We sure are, Harls," the Joker replied. "And she's going to rule Gotham one day, just like us."

Meanwhile, in the Batcave, Batman sat in front of a bank of computers, watching as a program ran through a list of variables, narrowing down possible locations of the Joker's hideout. The caped crusader was nearly asleep when a loud beep erupted from the machines in front of him. On the screen, an area the size of half a city block was circled in red.

"I've got you now, Quinn," Batman growled, as he dialed the direct line to Amanda Waller's office at Belle Reve.

* * *

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, and reviewed. I appreciate it all so much. I would also love some feedback, as this is the first time writing these characters, on how you think I'm doing writing Harley and the Joker. Thanks again!


	5. Chapter 5

Harley watched eagerly as the Joker's henchman brought in box after box from her latest shopping trip. In the two months since her ultrasound, all Harley had done was shop for her daughter. She had bought a beautiful, handmade crib with a rocking chair and changing table to match, countless outfits, and more toys than the baby could every need.

"Be careful with that!" Harley snarled as one of the men tapped the side of the changing table on the doorframe.

"Sorry, Miss Quinn," he squeaked.

Harley smiled, and flopped down in the rocking chair to finish supervising the move. The room was already starting to look like a nursery. The day that Harley had the ultrasound, she had ordered that the room be painted a pale pink, and had plush white carpeting installed. Harley placed her hand on her stomach lovingly.

"Mama's gonna give you the whole world, Little One," she promised.

"Talking to it again, I see," the Joker said, walking into the nursery and looking around.

"Shoes off, Mistah J!" Harley squealed, jumping halfway out of the rocker. "And besides, the internet said it was good to talk to it. I mean, her."

The Joker took off his oxfords and smiled indulgently at Harley. He walked over to the blonde, and placed his hand on her rounded stomach.

"Talk to her, Daddy," Harley whispered. "She needs to learn the sound of your voice."

"I'm not talking to your stomach, Harley," the Joker said sternly.

Harley pouted for a moment, but instantly brightened up when one of the henchmen came in carrying the ornate handmade crib she had found at an upscale baby boutique. Harley squealed with delight and grabbed the Joker's hand.

"Look what I found, Mistah J! Don't ya just love it?"

"It's okay," the Joker replied.

Harley's face fell, but she forced a smile when she felt the baby kick.

"You like it, don't ya, Little One?" She asked.

The Joker rolled his eyes.

"Listen, Harls, I'm going out for the night," the Joker said. "I'm going to leave two of the boys here to watch you."

"Where ya going?" Harley asked, as she stood from the rocking chair, holding her aching back.

"Jewelry heist," the Joker replied, peering into a box of onesies.

"Ohh, you know I love jewelry. Can't I come with you?" Harley whined.

"Not happening, cupcake," the Joker replied. "You're too far along."

"But I wanna go. Please, Daddy?" Harley begged.

Before the words had finished leaving her mouth, Harley was on her knees, her hair wrapped in the Joker's fist.

"What did I just say, Harley?" The Joker asked through clenched teeth. "Did I not just tell you no?"

"I'm sorry," Harley cried. "I'll stay home!"

"Your goddamn right you will," the Joker replied. "Now go to the bedroom."

"I'm so sorry, Daddy," Harley stuttered.

"Did I ask you to speak?"

The Joker slapped Harley hard across her face, and she lost her balance and fell backwards. She cried out in pain, and a drop of blood from a cut on her lip fell on her white maternity dress.

"Hey, you can't do that to a lady!" One of the henchmen yelled, clenching his fist.

Without a word, the Joker pulled a gun from the holster on his waist and shot the man in the head. He fell on the ground, twitching, before becoming still. Harley stared in horror at the blood and brain matter staining the freshly painted walls, the white carpet, and the crib.

"Go to the bedroom," the Joker repeated, his voice low and terrifying to Harley.

She scrambled to her feet and ran out of the nursery.

"Replace everything," the Joker ordered. "Except the crib. Just scrub it."

The Joker stomped into the bedroom, and found Harley lying curled up on the bed, her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach. She was sobbing, and the blood from her lip had dripped down onto the silk bedspread.

"Harley, stand up," the Joker ordered.

Harley jumped out of bed, and stood in front of the Joker, her head down as she continued to cry. The Joker paced back and forth in front of Harley.

"Oh, Harley girl, what ever am I going to do with you?" The Joker asked, turning sharply to the cowering woman and leaning close to her. "This pregnancy has made you feisty. I'm not pleased."

"Please don't hurt the baby," Harley whispered.

"Of course I won't hurt the baby," the Joker said, smiling. "What kind of monster do you think I am?"

Harley smiled, and tried to hug the Joker. In one swift motion, he flipped her over so that she was laying facedown on the bed.

"Don't move," he growled.

The Joker calmly walked over to the fireplace and selected one of the iron pokers. He swung it like a golf club a few times, testing the weight, before walking back to the bed. Harley was sobbing, her whole body trembling as she tried not to move.

"I do wish that you would learn to behave yourself, Harley."

The Joker swung the iron poker so that it crashed down hard on the small of Harley's back. Harley screamed in pain and fear, but the Joker ignored her and hit her twice more. She was whimpering now, an animalistic sound that made the Joker smile.

Panic bloomed in Harley's chest when she felt moisture running down her legs.

"Blood. I'm bleeding," she thought, fear overwhelming her thoughts.

Harley slowly put her hand to her crotch, and stared at her fingertips. They were clean.

"Goddamn it, you idiot, you pissed yourself," the Joker growled. "Get in the bathroom and clean up."

Harley tried to stand, but the pain in her back was too much. Instead, she crawled to the bathroom, and locked the door behind her. She managed to crawl over to the rug in front of the sink before the pain became too much, and she slipped out of consciousness.

When Harley awoke, two hours had passed, and the house was silent. It took a moment for her to remember exactly why she was lying on the bathroom floor, but the sharp pain in her back served as a quick reminder. Harley tried to stand up, but managed to rise only to her knees before the pain became too sharp. Carefully, Harley unlocked the bedroom door and opened it just enough so that she could peer outside. The bedroom was empty, so she eased the door open and started to crawl to the bed. Halfway there, she remembered that her clothes were ruined, so she slipped out of her dress and panties and finished her slow crawl to the bed in the nude.

After a short struggle, Harley managed to lift herself onto the bed, where she wrapped herself in her comforter and began to cry. After a few moments, she heard a hesitant knock on the door.

"Come in," Harley said, wiping her eyes and making sure that the comforter covered her body.

One of the Joker's men eased the door open. He was carrying one of the silver trays from the kitchen, loaded with a cheeseburger, fries, two Tylenol, and a grape soda.

"I brought you dinner, Miss Quinn," the henchman said shyly. "And some Tylenol. I looked it up, the internet said it was safe for the baby."

"Thank you so much!" Harley said, wiping the tears from her face and trying to smile. "I really appreciate this."

"Just…please don't tell the boss, ok?" He asked, setting the tray down on the bed next to Harley.

"Sure thing," Harley replied, cringing as she tried to sit up in bed.

The henchman left the room, and Harley eagerly swallowed the Tylenol. She wasn't sure that they could do much to help her, but she was willing to try anything. Harley poked at the cheeseburger, but the pain in her back was so strong she was afraid she would vomit if she tried to eat anything. She settled back in bed, and placed her hands over her stomach.

"Don't worry, Little One," Harley whispered. "The things Daddy does…Well, he doesn't mean them. He loves you, and he loves me. I promise."

After a while, Harley began to drift off into an uneasy sleep. Her dreams edged towards nightmares, and every little motion she made caused hot stabs of pain to shoot through her back.

Suddenly, Harley was startled awake when she heard a loud crash, and the sound of gunfire. Everything in Harley told her to hide, and she rolled off the bed, crying out in pain when she hit the floor. She rolled underneath the bed, and lay there breathing hard. She listened as footsteps thundered up the stairs and the bedroom door slammed open.

"Quinn, I know you're in here," Batman growled, his deep voice resonating in the room.

Harley was silent. She watched from under the bed as Batman paced back and forth in the room. Suddenly, the man stopped and knelt beside the bed. When he saw Harley she tried to scramble out of his reach, but between her swollen stomach and bruised back, she wasn't fast enough.

Before she could react, Harley was wrapped tightly in Batman's arms. He pushed her facedown on the bed, and handcuffed her behind her back. Harley tried to fight, but every movement brought an intense pain coursing through her back, and she finally gave up, lying limply on the bed as Batman prepared a syringe.

"I'm sorry, Quinn," the man said, moving her hair away from her neck. "This won't hurt the baby. I promise."

The next thing that Harley knew, she was hand- and ankle-cuffed to a bed. The walls around her were white and bare. As her memory flooded back, Harley began to scream. Within seconds, a woman wearing scrubs entered the room and pushed a button on the IV pump next to Harley's bed.

"Where am I?" Harley asked weakly, the sedative running into her IV already starting to kick in.

"Belle Reve," the nurse replied stonily. "You might as well get comfortable, you're going to be here awhile."

The next time that Harley awoke, a woman was standing over her.

"Waller?" Harley asked weakly, wondering if she was really seeing the woman before her.

"Yes," she replied shortly.

"If this is about wanted me back in your little squad, it ain't happenin'," Harley spat. "I'm gonna be a mommy now."

"Oh, I'm well aware of that," Waller said, touching Harley's stomach.

Harley cringed away from the woman's hand.

"What do you want with me, then?"

"To cure you, Quinn," Waller replied.

"I ain't sick," Harley growled, placing her hand over stomach protectively.

"Oh, but you are," Waller smiled. "Social deviance is the worst kind of sickness, isn't it, Doctor Quinzel?"

"Don't call me that."

"You'll be receiving the treatment tomorrow, then in a few days I suspect you should be ready for release." Waller stated, looking down at Harley.

"Released? You mean you'd let me out of here?"

"Of course," Waller replied. "I doubt you'll be any trouble once we remove the fetus and complete a tubal ligation."

"Remove the…"

The words sunk in, and Harley began fighting against her restraints. She let out an ear-piercing scream, but Waller just laughed and pushed the button on Harley's IV pump that flooded her body with sedative. She was asleep within seconds.

Waller walked back to her office, where she picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory.

"Dr. Kovack," she began, "so sorry to trouble you at home. It seems that our patient is ready for the treatment we discussed. Yes, she'll be ready tomorrow. Thank you, Dr. Kovack."

Waller hung up, then picked up the phone again. This time, she dialed the head surgeon of Belle Rev.

"Hello. I need you to clear the schedule tomorrow. I'm going to need the operating theater clear. We have a very special patient being cured tomorrow."


	6. Chapter 6

When the Joker arrived back at the hideout after the jewelry heist, he instantly knew something was wrong. His fears were confirmed when he found the henchman he had left with Harley tied to a kitchen chair and gagged.

"What the fuck happened?" The Joker yelled, ripping the gag from the man's mouth. "And where the fuck is Harley?"

"Gone…Kidnapped!" The henchman stuttered. "It was the bat! He took her!"

"You let the bat take my Harley?" The Joker screamed, pulling his pistol from its holster.

"He knocked me out, I tried to save her, honest!"

The Joker sighed and put his gun back into the holster. The henchman breathed a sigh of relief. The Joker turned towards the men that were cowering behind him in the doorway.

"Don't just fucking stand there!" He snarled. "Untie him and get to work! I want the bat found and lured to the docks immediately!"

Meanwhile, at Belle Reve, Dr. Kovack was in his operating theater setting up everything he would need for Harley's surgery. He touched each scalpel with a sterilized hand to make sure everything was in its place before calling for his team to surround him.

"Now that everyone is here, I have a few ground rules to lay down. They are not from me. They're from Waller, and if you don't like them I'm going to need you to leave my OR now. First, what we do tonight is never to be spoken of again. Second, what is happening tonight is eugenics. Plain and simple. If that makes you uncomfortable, leave now. And finally, if you're a parent or sentimental about babies, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Anyone going?"

The team, made up mostly of medical students, looked around at one another. No one moved.

"Good," Dr. Kovack smiled. "Nurse, please have the patient prepared and brought in."

Harley was slowly coming out of the haze that had permeated her brain since she arrived at Belle Reve. Her head was pounding, and her whole body felt heavy. As the world came more and more into focus, Harley realized that the nurse had entered the room. She checked all four of the restraints on the bed, and smiled at Harley when she realized she was awake.

"Well, I didn't expect you to be awake, sleepyhead," the nurse said.

"Please, please let me out of here," Harley cried, struggling against the restraints. "They're gonna take my baby. My little girl."

"This is going to cure you, Dr. Quinzel. You're going to be normal after this. Isnt that what you want?" She asked.

"Not like this," Harley screeched, desperately clawing at the restraints. "Please no, God, no."

The nurse wheeled Harley to the operating theater. Harley screamed the whole way there, writhing against her restraints until deep cuts formed on her wrists and ankles. When she arrived in the operating room, Harley desperately scanned the faces of the doctor and nurses gathered around her. Her gaze settled on a familiar face, and hope surged through her body.

"Joan!" Harley cried. "Joan Leland, we used to work together. Don't you remember? You were my only friend at Arkham, Joan. Please don't let them do this to me."

Cringing, Dr. Leland turned away.

"Sedate the patient," she snapped at the anesthesiologist.

Someone shoved a mask on Harley's face, and soon, the world faded to black.

Back in Gotham, the Joker and his men had sent out a false tip that they would be setting explosive devices on all the boats in the harbor. Just as expected, Batman arrived to find the Joker, wearing a disheveled suit, standing at the pier.

"What's going on, Joker?" Batman asked.

"You know exactly what's going on, Batsy," the Joker replied. "Where's my Harley? What have you done with her?"

"She's in a safe place. Somewhere that will take care of her until she has the baby," Batman replied.

"Fuck that," the Joker snarled. "Tell me where she is right the fuck now!"

"Somewhere safe," Batman repeated. "And unless you want a nice trip to Arkham, I suggest you wait patiently until she comes back."

Batman turned and walked away, leaving the Joker speechless.

At Belle Reve, Harley was fully sedated and her stomach cleansed with an antiseptic solution. The surgeon began to make his first incision. Using a sharp scalpel, Dr. Kovack made a horizontal incision directly through Harley's "Lucky You" tattoo. After a few more moments and some expert cuts from the scalpel, the doctor used forceps to open Harley's stomach, and pulled the baby from her womb. Without ceremony, Dr. Kovack dumped the silent infant in Dr. Leland's arms.

"Dispose of this, Doctor," Kovack ordered.

Joan scurried out of the operating theater, and Dr. Kovack began the tubal ligation.

Nearly five hours later, Harley was dumped on a Gotham park bench. The incision on her lower stomach was hurriedly bandaged, and blood leaked from the wound where her IV had been. She was wearing nothing but a hospital gown. Several people walked past her, averting her eyes as if she was a piece of litter. Finally, a man on his way home from work called an ambulance, and she was rushed to the hospital.

The Joker paced back and forth in his office. He had spent the last few hours barking orders at the henchman and making lists of everywhere Batman could have taken Harley. Rage was building in the man's throat, and he let out a frustrated scream.

"Uhh, boss?" One of the henchman said, stepping hesitantly in the office.

"Yes?"

"A Jane Doe matching Harley's description was just admitted to Gotham General. We're pretty sure it's her."

"Well what the fuck are you waiting for?" The Joker snarled. "Bring around the car. "

When the Joker arrived at the hospital, he waltzed through the front doors, determined and deadly. He went straight to the reception desk, pulling his gun from the holster on his side.

"Take me to the Jane Doe that was brought in earlier," the Joker demanded, pointing the gun at the receptionist's head.

She quickly typed on her computer before jumping up and leading the Joker deep into the hospital to the OBGYN floor. They passed rows of doors decorated with bright pink and blue bows, until they finally reached a door that was bare.

"She's in here," the receptionist squeaked.

The Joker nodded, and opened the door. As soon as his gun was no longer trained on her, the receptionist ran down the hallway, tears streaming down her face.

The Joker eased open the door, and his heart dropped when he saw Harley lying on the bed. She was hooked to another IV line, and her face was red and swollen from crying. Her hair hung limply around her face. The Joker walked into the room, followed closely by several of his henchmen. He was silent for a long while, his gaze lingering on Harley's stomach, now much flatter than it had been the last time he saw her.

"Harls," he whispered.

"Puddin'," she replied, reaching her arms out towards the Joker like a child.

"What'd they do, Harls?" The Joker asked, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him.

"They took her. She's gone," Harley whispered.

Silently, the Joker removed the IV from Harley's arm and picked her up. She snuggled close to him, and began to cry.

"Shoot anyone who tries to stop us," the Joker ordered his henchmen.

The Joker walked out of the hospital with Harley cradled in his arms. She cried all the way back to the hideout, her face buried in the Joker's tattooed chest. When the Joker carried her to the bedroom and tried to lay her on the bed, she cried out in fear and wrapped her arms tighter around his neck. The Joker lay down next to Harley and held her all night. Neither of them slept. In short bursts and through her tears, Harley told the Joker what had happened at Belle Reve.

The day was a blur for Harley and the Joker. Every time the Joker left the bed, Harley's sobbing began again. She clung to the Joker, one hand over the incision on her stomach and the other tracing the tattoos on the green-haired man's chest over and over. Finally, as day turned to night and heat lighting lit up the Gotham sky, the Joker ordered one of his men to find a sedative for Harley. When he gave her the injection, Harley lay on the bed limply, not even fighting as he jabbed the needle roughly into her vein.

The sedative sent Harley into a peaceful sleep, and the Joker was finally free to move from the bed. He paced back and forth, his tired mind trying to formulate a plan for revenge at everyone who had dared touch his queen and princess. After several hours and scrapped plans, Harley began to stir in bed. The Joker looked over at her and quickly rushed to her side.

Suddenly, Harley let out a terrible wail. She began thrashing in bed, lashing out at the air around her. The Joker tried to wrap her in his arms, but she punched him. Rage filled him, and the Joker picked Harley up off the bed and threw her to the floor. The Joker slapped Harley hard across her face twice. Harley snarled at him and scratched his chest with her fingernails, leaving crimson trails of blood in five long lines.

"Where is she?" Harley screamed. "Where's my baby?"

"She's dead, Harley!" The Joker screamed. "Dead! You said it yourself-someone took her and now she's gone!"

"No, I can feel her!" Harley cried. "She's out there! She's out there somewhere!"

The Joker punched Harley in the stomach, forgetting about her incision. Harley fell to her knees, her hands cupped around her wound. Blood trickled slowly from between her fingers. Harley looked up at the Joker with fear in her eyes. The Joker turned around to yell for one of the henchmen to find a doctor, but Harley ran to the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

The Joker sighed, and sat down on Harley's side of the bed. He noticed her cell phone was lying on the nightstand, and an idea slowly began to form in his mind. He grimaced, but picked up the phone and scrolled through Harley's contacts until he found the number he wanted.

"Hello, Ivy," he said, practically spitting the words. "I will be sending several men to your house shortly. I highly suggest that you go with them quietly. Harley…She needs you."

"What's wrong? What happened?" Ivy asked, fear running through her veins.

"I'll explain once you're here, Plant." The Joker hung up the phone and went to the bathroom door.

"Ivy's on her way," the Joker said.

He listened for a moment, hoping that Harley would come out, but everything was silent. The Joker went to the front room to await Ivy's arrival.

When Ivy arrived, she walked towards the Joker with her fists clenched.

"What the fuck did you do to her?" Ivy growled.

"Calm down, Plant, I didn't hurt her. Well…I guess I did, but that's not why I need you."

The Joker explained everything that had happened since Harley's kidnapping. Ivy was horrified at what he told her, and she began to cry silently, thinking of the pain, both physical and emotional, that Harley must be going through.

"Where is she?" Ivy asked.

"Master bathroom," the Joker replied. "She won't come out for me. Not after I punched her."  
"You hit her?" Ivy asked, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Now, after all she's been through, and you're still abusing her?"

"She was fighting me, Plant. I didn't have a choice."

Ivy shook her head and went to the master bathroom. She stood outside the door, listening for a moment. The bathroom was silent.

"Harley, I'm here," Ivy said through the door. "Please come out. I need to look at your incision. It sounds like the bastard…I mean the Joker may have busted your stitches open."

Slowly, Harley stood from where she had been curled up on the bathroom floor. Fresh streaks of blood ran out from beneath her bandage, and she cringed in pain. Gently, Harley eased open the door. When she saw Ivy, she threw herself in the redhead's arms and began to cry.

Ivy held Harley silently for a long moment before gently pulling away. She looked Harley up and down, and tears came to her eyes again. She was standing limply, with her head down in a posture of defeat. The pajama shirt the Joker had put her in was stained with blood from her incision, and bruises and cuts surrounded her wrists and ankles where the restraints at Belle Reve had dug into her flesh. Bruises dotted the pale skin on her face, her upper arms, and legs.

"Come on," Ivy whispered, leading Harley to the bed. "Joker, get a doctor her, as soon as possible. You busted her goddamn stiches wide open."

Ivy gently removed the bandage and cringed when she looked at the gaping wound ruining Harley's tattoo. Harley glanced down and stifled a gag, then began crying again.

"They took her," she whispered.

"I know, Harley," Ivy replied.

"But I swear she's out there, I can feel her, Red. I can feel that she's still alive."

Ivy was silent.

"Puddin' don't believe me either," Harley whispered.

"Sweetheart, I believe that you feel so much love for her that you want her to be alive, but you were only seven months along. The chances of-"

"I know the chances!" Harley snapped. "But she's strong. She's mine and my Puddin's, she's a fighter."

"Sure, Harley," Ivy whispered, stroking her blonde hair.

The two women were silent until the doctor arrived, and older man who was being held at gunpoint by two of the Joker's goons.

"Where's the patient?" He asked, his voice shaking.

Ivy nodded towards Harley, and moved out of the way. The doctor walked over and carefully examined the incision.

"It looks like the stitches just slipped. They were done very…hastily. I can fix you right up, Miss…"

"Harley," she answered automatically.

"I will need some numbing agent first, however," the doctor said.

"Nah," Harley replied. "Just get it over with. I don't care anymore."

The doctor looked nervously to the Joker, who nodded his approval.

While the doctor was stitching Harley's incision, Harley lay on the bed, gritting her teeth as tears streamed down her face. The Joker held one of her hands, while Ivy held the other.

"All done," the doctor said, after a few moments. "Now, please try to avoid whatever made the stitches slip in the first place."

The Joker handed the man a wad of cash and the henchmen lead him out of the mansion.

"So, what's the plan?" Ivy asked, crossing her arms.

"You're going to watch her," the Joker replied, pointing to Harley. "And I'm going to go decide how exactly to take care of Waller and her whole damn prison."


	7. Chapter 7

Harley and Ivy lay on the bed that Harley shared with the Joker, their arms wrapped around one another in a tight embrace. Ivy stroked Harley's hair gently and whispered comforting nothings in her ear.

"I love you, Harley," Ivy whispered. "I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I wish I could make it all go away."

"Love you too, Red," Harley answered automatically, playing with Ivy's hair.

"You know what might make you feel better?" Ivy asked, untangling herself from Harley's arms. "A nice hot shower. Does that sound nice?"

Harley considered for a moment, then nodded.

"I'll go get everything ready for you," Ivy said, planting a kiss on top of Harley's head.

Once the shower was ready and Ivy had laid clothes out, she helped Harley stand, and led her to the bathroom. Harley stood limply while Ivy unbuttoned her bloodstained pajama shirt and slipped it off her arms, then pulled down the shorts that Harley had been wearing. She recoiled in surprise for a moment when she saw crimson blood between Harley's thighs.

"Is that normal?" Harley asked, her voice small and frightened.

"It's….it's from your uterus contracting back to its normal shape," Ivy replied. "God, Harley, I'm so fucking sorry."

Harley began to cry. Ivy carefully helped her step into the shower, and soaped up a cloth. She leaned over to help clean the drying blood from Harley's thighs, but the blonde shook her head.

"I think I just wanna be alone right now, Red," she whispered.

"Of course," Ivy replied.

Ivy handed Harley the cloth and stepped out of the shower.

"Let me know if you need me."

Harley nodded. Ivy stepped out of the bathroom, and Harley leaned up against the wall of the shower, her whole body shaking with the force of her sobs. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and hugged herself tightly, ignoring the pain from her incision.

Slowly, Harley sank down until she was sitting in the bottom of the shower, as blood trickled from between her legs. She looked down at the angry red incision, and a blind fury surged through her body. She fumbled above her until she found her razor, and snapped it apart so that five small blades came loose.

Harley began furiously slashing at her stomach, making deep cuts above her incision.

"Harley, I forgot a towel-" Ivy stopped midsentence and screamed when she saw what the blonde was doing. "Stop it, Harley! Stop!"

Ivy climbed into the shower fully dressed, and wrestled the razor blade away form Harley, cutting her hand in the process.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Ivy snapped.

"What's all this yelling?" The Joker asked, stomping into the master bathroom.

"I just want to die!" Harley wailed.

"I thought I told you to watch her!" The Joker screamed at Ivy, before roughly pulling Harley out of the shower by her wrist. "Goddammit, is everyone around here useless?"

"Don't hurt her!" Ivy cried, clenching her fists.

The Joker scooped Harley up in his arms and carried her over to their bed. He gently placed her on the cool sheets and looked at her for a long moment.

"What am I going to do with you, Harls?" He asked sadly, smoothing back a lock of hair from the woman's face.

Ivy stood next to Harley protectively, ready to pounce on the Joker if he became violent. After watching him until she was satisfied that he wasn't angry, Ivy went to the bathroom to fetch supplies to bandage the wounds on Harley's stomach, wrists, and ankles. When she came back into the bedroom, the Joker was lovingly drying Harley off, gently rubbing her hair with the towel.

"Scoot over, let me bandage her up," Ivy ordered.

Anger flashed over the Joker's face, but he obeyed Ivy's order for Harley's sake. He moved away from his queen, his hand lingering on hers for a moment.

"It's gonna be okay, Harls," He whispered. "Daddy's right here."

The Joker sat in the chair in the corner of their room and watched as Ivy expertly cleaned and bandaged Harley's cuts.

"Careful," he barked when he noticed Harley wince in pain. "Goddamn it, woman, don't hurt her."

"At least I didn't punch her," Ivy replied.

For once the Joker was silent, watching as Ivy dressed Harley tenderly. When Ivy was finished, she climbed on the bed next to the blonde and wrapped her arms around her tightly. She looked at the Joker, daring him to say a word about her closeness to Harley. The exhausted woman snuggled close to the redhead, wrapping her arms around her slender form.

"Ivy, Mistah J, we have to find her. My little girl is out there somewhere."

The Joker sighed, and went to the nightstand next to his side of the bed. He picked up a syringe, filled it from a vial of sedative, and stuck it into Harley's arm. Within seconds, Harley's eyes closed as she drifted into a deep sleep. The Joker squeezed her hand, and turned to go back to his study.

"What the fuck was that?" Ivy asked, following him. "You get tired of her talking so you drug her?"

"I get tired of her saying that the little brat is alive," the Joker replied.

"The little brat?" Ivy fired back. "That was her daughter!"

"She was my daughter, too!" The Joker screamed, turning around so that he was face to face with Ivy. "She was mine and I loved her, goddammit!"

The Joker spun around on his heel and stomped down the hallway leaving Ivy staring after him in shock. She had never believed that the Joker had the capacity to love anyone, but she realized that she had been at least partially wrong.

"Wait, Joker, I didn't mean…"

The man stopped and held his hand up, shaking his head.

"What I need from you right now, Plant, is for you to help me. As much as I hate to say it, you and I are working together. We're going to blow up Belle Reve and kill every last bastard that hurt my girls."

"I'm in," Ivy replied, after a moment's hesitation.

"I thought you might be," the Joker smiled. "I know you love her, Ivy. You don't see her as just a gal pal, am I right?"

Ivy sighed.

"You're right," she admitted, tears springing up in her eyes.

"As long as you remember your place, and she remembers hers, I have no problem with your little trysts. I know how to share," the Joker said, walking down the hallway. "I know she'll always come back to me in the end."

Ivy cringed, but followed the Joker into his study, and the two began their scheme to take revenge on those who had hurt Harley and her baby. Nearly five hours later, they were ready. Ivy had worked in the Joker's chemical lab to synthesize a plant based knockout gas that they were going to pipe into the air filtration system of Belle Reve. Then, once everyone was subdued, the Joker, his henchmen, and Ivy were going to release the prisoners, and gather up everyone who had been involved in Harley's ordeal. Then, the Joker and Ivy were going to torture and kill everyone who had been involved, with the help of a few select prisoners who the Joker knew would be willing to help.

The Joker and Ivy went into the bedroom to say goodbye to Harley before leaving for Louisiana. She was stirring awake when they walked into the door, and her eyes fluttered open when the Joker sat down on the bed next to her and took her hand.

"Doll, Ivy and I are going on a little trip. We're going to take care of everyone who hurt you. I'm leaving half the men here, and they'll protect you from everything, okay?"

"Whatcha gonna do to them?" Harley asked, sitting up in bed and cringing from the pain in her stomach.

Ivy and the Joker filled Harley in on their plan, and were both surprised to see the ghost of a smile flicker across her face.

"Make sure you get Joan Leland. She's a doctor. Get her real good for me, okay?"

"We will, babe," the Joker smiled. "We promise."

Ivy nodded. The Joker bent down and kissed Harley gently, his hand lingering on her face when he pulled away. Ivy took his place on the bed, and took Harley in her arms.

"Love you, Harley," Ivy whispered, kissing the blonde on the cheek, then on her soft lips.

"Love you, Red," Harley replied. "Be safe, ya two."

The Joker split his goons into two groups and ordered half to stay with Harley, and the rest to come with him to Belle Reve. The former were put in charge of a 24-hour a day suicide watch, and the latter were quickly filled in on the plan.

When they arrived at Belle Reve nearly three hours later, the Joker, his men, and Ivy pumped the gas into the prison with ease. In seconds, everyone was knocked out, and the prison was silent for the first time since it began housing inmates. Ivy, the Joker, and his henchman walked into the prison through the front door. They split up, and soon they had gathered Deadshot, Killer Croc, and Boomerang, and had freed the rest of the prisoners.

Ivy pulled out a bottle of the antidote to her knockout gas and held it under the nose of the three in turn. Slowly, they came out of their deep sleeps, and looked at the Joker and Ivy in confusion.

"I bet you're wondering why you're here," the Joker spread his arms out theatrically. "Well I'll tell you. You're here because each and every one of you cares about my Harley. Am I right?"

The trio looked at one another and nodded.

"She in trouble or something?" Deadshot asked.

Ivy told the group what had happened to Harley, her voice cracking as she held back tears.

"That's fucked up," Killer Croc growled.

"Fucking sick," Deadshot whispered. "Who the fuck did that to her?"

"Waller, for one," the Joker replied. "There was a bunch of med students, so I'm just rounding them all up. And two doctors, one named Kovack, and the other is Joan Leland. They'll be arriving shortly, and the fun can begin. I assume you'll want to join in?"

All three nodded.

When the henchman came back carrying the people that the Joker and Ivy had requested, they plopped them down in chairs and tied them up tightly. Then, Ivy used her antidote to wake them up.

"What is the meaning of this?" Waller yelled, her voice thick with sleep.

The Joker smiled.

"You know exactly why you're here," he laughed. "You touched my Harley, and our child. And now, you're going to pay."

The Joker handed Deadshot and Boomerang their weapons.

"My men have knives if anyone is interested," the Joker said.

"Do want you want to them, but don't kill Waller or Leland. They're ours," Ivy ordered.

Nearly an hour later, the med students were dead, along with the two nurses who had assisted in Harley's surgery. Dr. Kovack and Dr. Leland were both gagged as well as bound to folding chairs. They watched in horror as the Joker and Ivy tortured Waller until she screamed for mercy. Her skin was burnt in patches, and Ivy had been choking her on and off using one of her vines. A bullet hole in her knee, from Deadshot's gun, oozed blood, and several of her teeth lay on the floor around the chair.

The Joker danced up to Waller, and smiled brightly at the woman.

"Now, for the grand finale! I'm going to rip you open just like you did to my Harley. Nurse, scalpel please!"

Ivy grinned and handed the Joker a scalpel from the table next to her. The Joker giggled and twirled the sharp blade in his fingers before lifting Waller's shirt and plunging the tip of the blade into her stomach. He carved a large grin on her stomach, and reached inside the wound.

"This is what you did to her, Waller!" The Joker screamed, as he ripped out her stomach.

The woman tied to the chair gurgled, and blood poured from her mouth as she took her last breath.

The Joker turned and smiled at his two remaining captives.

"Now what ever will we do with you two?" He asked.

The Joker and Ivy were just about to start in on Dr. Kovack, when they realized that Dr. Leland was desperately trying to speak through her gag.

"What do you want, you bitch?" Ivy asked, ripping the gag from her mouth.

"She's still alive!" Dr. Leland yelled. "Joker, your baby is still alive!"


	8. Chapter 8

" _She's still alive!" Dr. Leland yelled. "Joker, your baby is still alive!"_

"What the fuck did you say?" The Joker loomed over Joan Leland, a mixture of rage and hope on his face.

"She's still alive, Joker. Dr. Kovack cut her out of Harleen and gave her to me. I couldn't just let her die...I got her breathing, then I dropped her off at the children's hospital. She's still there. Please don't kill me."

The Joker stared at Joan in shock. Without a word, he used his pistol to shoot Dr. Kovack in the head, and quickly began untying Joan.

"You better be telling the truth, woman," the Joker growled. "Where is she?"

"Parish Children's Hospital," Joan sobbed. "She's in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, room 314."

"Go check it out," the Joker ordered, nodding to one of his henchmen.

The room was silent, except for the sound of Joan sobbing, as everyone waited for the henchman's return. Finally, the man ran into the room, out of breath.

"There is an abandoned infant in room 314. A little girl," he panted.

The Joker turned to Ivy.

"Call the hideout in Gotham. Get the men to bring Harley here, but don't breathe a word of this to her. I have to be sure, before anyone tells her."

Ivy nodded, and scurried away to find a telephone.

"They're on their way," she reported back a few minutes later. "Harley had to be sedated again. She should be waking up just about when the plane lands."

The Joker nodded. He turned to Deadshot, Killer Croc, and Boomerang.

"You'll never hear me say this again," the green-haired man whispered, "but I need your help."

"Anything," Deadshot replied.

Killer Croc and Boomerang nodded.

"Get me into that room safely."

The trio nodded.

The Joker signaled for his men to gather around. He roughly pushed Joan towards one of the men.

"You're in charge of her," he ordered. "The rest of you, we are going to that hospital. Ivy and I will be going straight to room 314. I want you to shoot anyone who tries to stop us. Got it?"

The group left the prison in Belle Reve vans, and drove straight towards the hospital. When they were halfway there, the Joker noticed a familiar car in the rearview mirror.

"Goddammit!" He screamed, pounding the steering wheel with his fists.

Batman's car was gaining on the van. The Joker floored the gas pedal, and within minutes whipped into the parking lot of the children's hospital. He and Ivy were out of the car in seconds, and were soon surrounded by Deadshot, Killer Croc, Boomerang, and the henchmen. They were all surprised, however, when Batman opened the car door and got out with his hands up.

"I'm not here to fight," Batman said. "I want to help."

"Haven't you done enough?" Ivy yelled, clenching his fists. "You're the whole reason this happened to Harley! You're the one who handed her over to Waller!"

"I didn't know what was going to happen," Batman growled. "Waller said she was just going to try a new treatment on Harley. I only found out what happened when I hacked into the prison database after your attack. I had no idea that she planned to do what she did. I would never have let her do something so evil."

"Why should I trust you, Batsy?" The Joker asked, putting his hand over his gun. "I should kill you right now for what you let happen."

"I can't tell you how sorry I am. I want to help, Joker. We need to call a temporary truce."

The Joker sighed and lowered his hand. He stepped forward, and extended his hand to Batman. A small smile crossed the masked man's face, and he shook the hand of his greatest enemy.

"Now," Batman said, "let's go get your daughter."

The Joker and Batman lead the group into the hospital. A security guard stepped forward, but shrunk back when he saw Batman. They attracted the attention of everyone in the hospital as they made their way to the third floor. When they arrived outside room 314, the Joker hesitated for a moment.

"It's okay," Ivy whispered.

"I don't want to meet her without Harley. She deserves to see her first. And we need to make sure that she's…you know, the right baby."

Ivy pursed her lips and nodded. She turned to a nurse that was hovering near the group, and ordered her to find a lab tech.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Joker, sir?" The nervous lab technician asked.

"Verify that the child inside the room is mine," the Joker ordered.

The tech nodded, and quickly drew a sample of the Joker's blood, and then scurried into the room where the baby lay. After he drew the baby's blood, he went down to the lab to complete the test. An agonizing fifteen minutes went by, and the Joker paced back and forth in the hallway. Finally, the technician, out of breath from running, burst through the door from the stairwell.

"It's a match," he said. "Mr. Joker, she's your daughter."

Ivy let out a squeal of delight, and hugged the Joker. She quickly realized what she was doing, and stepped away, smoothing her hair.

"She's alive," the Joker whispered. "How far out is Harley?"

"About an hour," one of the henchmen replied.

The Joker nodded.

"Now what?" Boomerang asked.

"We wait," the Joker smiled, throwing his head back and laughing. "She's alive, everyone! My little princess is alive!"

When Harley arrived at the hospital, the Joker and Ivy met her at the front doors. She was still groggy from the sedative she had been given.

"Where am I?" She asked.

"Parish Children's Hospital, in Louisiana," Ivy answered. "Sweetheart, Joker has something to tell you."

The Joker gently took Harley's hands in his own, and smiled.

"Our little princess is alive, Harley. You were right. Joan Leland saved her."

It took Harley a minute to process what the Joker had said, but when she did, she let out a piercing scream.

"I knew it," she yelled. "I just knew it. Where is she?"

"On the third floor," Ivy replied.

Harley grabbed the Joker and hugged him tightly and kissed him passionately. She then turned to Ivy, and gave the redhead a hug.

"Thank you both, so much," Harley whispered. "Now, let's go meet our Little One."

The Joker took Harley's hand and, along with Ivy, they made their way to the elevator. When they arrived on the third floor, Harley hesitated before stepping out of the elevator. She turned to the Joker and looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"Mistah J, I'm scared," she whispered. "What if I mess up? What if I'm not a good Mommy?"

The Joker gently took Harley's hands and smiled down at her.

"Harls, you're going to be perfect."

Harley and the Joker walked hand in hand down the hallway. The Joker's henchmen lined the hallway. Ivy, Deadshot, Killer Croc, Boomerang, and Batman stood outside the baby's room, smiling. Just before the couple walked into their baby's room, a young doctor stopped them. The Joker's henchmen raised their guns, and the doctor shrank back.

"I-I just wanted to warn you…" he mumbled.

"Warn us about what?" The Joker asked, glaring at the doctor.

"I'm Dr. Carlson. The infant, your daughter, I mean, is my patient. I just wanted you two to be prepared for when you see her."

"What's wrong with her?" Harley asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Nothing is wrong, Ma'am," the doctor reassured her. "She's just very tiny. She weighs three pounds, and is about twelve inches long. She's connected to a lot of machines keeping her healthy. She has a mask on her face to help her breathe, a few IV lines, some monitoring equipment, and a tube in her nose for nutrition."

Harley cringed, remembering the force feedings through the tube at Belle Reve.

"Is she gonna…Is she gonna be okay?" Harley asked, squeezing the Joker's hand.

"We have every reason to believe that she will be. She has a long road ahead of her, the stay in the hospital alone will last about two months, but she's a fighter."

Harley smiled.

"Can we see her now?" She asked. "Please?"

The doctor nodded.

"Of course. You won't be able to hold her just yet, but you can certainly spend as much time with her as you want. Talk to her."

Harley looked up at the Joker, and he nodded his approval. Harley opened the door, and stepped inside. Her excitement got the better of her, and she broke free of the Joker's hand and ran over to the enclosed bassinet where her daughter lay. She squealed when she looked at the tiny baby, and the infant's little eyes popped open. She and Harley stared into one another's eyes for a long moment, and Harley began to cry.

The Joker walked up behind Harley, and wrapped his arm around her waist. He took a deep breath, and laughed when the infant shifted her gaze to him and flailed her tiny arms.

"What's her name, pumpkin?" The Joker asked.

"Calliope," Harley whispered. "I mean…if that's okay."

"Calliope," the Joker repeated. "I love it! Everyone, come meet Calliope!" He shouted into the hallway.

Ivy, Deadshot, Boomerang, and Killer Croc stepped into the room. They admired Calliope, and each gave Harley a tight hug.

"Congratulations, Dollface," Deadshot smiled. "You too, man."

He shook the Joker's hand and smiled.

"Makes me miss Zoe."

"You can see her," Batman's voice thundered through the small hospital room. "I'm going to pretend I never saw you. Any of you."

"Wait just one goddamn minute," Harley growled. "You're the reason this happened! You're the reason my little Calliope is hooked up to every machine in the goddamn hospital."

"He didn't know, sweetheart," the Joker whispered, taking Harley's hand. "He had no idea what Waller was going to do. He just wanted our princess to be safe."

Harley deflated.

"You really didn't know?" She asked, looked up at the masked man.

"I didn't. And I wish there was a way to apologize for what happened, but nothing I say will make it right."

"Just promise me one thing," Harley put her hands on her hips.

"What's that?" Batman asked.

"Please, just keep her safe. No matter what, please keep her safe."

"I can do that." Batman promised.

Harley nodded. She placed her hand over the incision on her lower stomach, and looked down. Then, she wrapped her arms around Batman's neck and hugged him tight before kissing his cheek with a loud smack. She turned to look at the Joker, fear lighting the edges of her eyes, but he was too busy staring into the bassinet to notice.

The next two months were long for Harley and the Joker. They had the henchmen find them a hideout in Louisiana, but spent most of their time in the hospital room with Calliope. The couple watched as their daughter grew and developed into an active, charming baby. After nearly a month, the doctors allowed Harley and the Joker to hold her.

The first moment that the nurse lay Calliope in Harley's arms, the woman had been unable to contain her excitement. She had let out an excited squeal, and Calliope had begun crying. The Joker had laughed, and cooed at the infant until she stopped, her brilliant blue eyes following her parents' every movement.

Calliope seemed to calm the Joker. He only struck Harley a few times in the two months the baby was in the hospital, and while he continued his business dealings, he seemed more forgiving, less likely to shoot first and ask questions later. Harley noticed the change, prayed that it would last.

At first, Harley was unsure of how to be a mother, but she quickly learned with the help of the nurses. The Joker watched, falling deeper and more in love with the woman and their child every day, as Harley blossomed into a patient, caring mother.

On the day that Calliope was released from the hospital, Batman chartered a private plane to transport the parents and their baby back to their home. When they touched down in Gotham, Batman stood and shook the Joker's hand a final time.

"You know that once we part ways today, our truce is over, right?" Batman asked.

"Oh, I'm well aware, Batsy," the Joker replied.

"Stay out of trouble," Batman growled.

He was out of the plane and gone before the Joker or Harley could respond, so the couple linked arms, and made sure that Calliope was comfortable in the carrier that Harley wore on her chest. Together, the couple stepped off the plane, and into their new lives.

* * *

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has read and/or reviewed! I am now taking requests for stories with the pairings Harley/Joker, Harley/Ivy, or Harley/Deadshot. Please let me know what you want to read next!


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